


Merry Christmas Sir

by TriStarRebel09



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, Post Series, Shipmas, Shipmas 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:01:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28171332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TriStarRebel09/pseuds/TriStarRebel09
Summary: Jack reflects back at the Christmases he has spent with Sam over the years.Set post series.  Written for Shipmas 2020.Prompt: Decorating
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Comments: 19
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

_ Christmas Eve 2010 _

General Jack O’Neill, retired, stared down into his glass of eggnog. If he was being honest it had ceased being eggnog several hours ago and was now just straight whisky. He took another sip and grimaced. He didn’t even really like the stuff but he was out of beer and couldn’t make himself get out of his chair and drive to the store for more. 

He wasn’t even sure where the eggnog had come from, but it had been the only thing left in the refrigerator. Maybe Hank had left it last time he was over, come to think of it. 

How long had that been? Two weeks? Three? Was it even still good? He picked up the carton from the floor and gave it a sniff. Only slightly rancid. How did he not notice that before? Oh well, too late now. 

He leaned back in his chair and looked out at the setting sun casting long shadows over the tops of the Colorado mountains. It was dark in the house but he couldn’t be bothered to turn on a light. 

His watch beeped on the hour and he glanced at it and took note of the date as well. December 24th. The day before Christmas. But what did it matter? It was just another day. 

He looked around the dark, quiet room. It looked the same as it had a month ago. He hadn’t put up a single decoration and had no plans to. No one would see them. What was the point?

Maybe he should just go up to the cabin for Christmas. He could be there by tomorrow morning. Then he could just put on a parka and fish the whole damn holiday away. 

The pond would be frozen, he reminded himself. Not that that would put a damper on the kind of fishing he did anyways. But that would require getting up and traveling 14 hours. 

He sighed and thought back to another Christmas when he sat alone in the same dark room. 

_ Christmas Eve 1997 _

“Colonel!” He heard the voice but didn’t stop walking towards the elevators. The doors were closed though, so he had no choice but to turn around to see Captain Samantha Carter jogging down the hallway towards him. 

“Colonel,” she said again as she reached him. “What can I do for you Captain?” he asked. 

“Any plans for Christmas?” She said brightly. 

“Nope,” he said, swiping his ID card through the scanner next to the elevator doors. 

When he didn’t elaborate, Carter continued on. “Daniel and I are taking Teal’c out tonight for Christmas Eve dinner. It’s his first Christmas on Earth! Or ever really. So I was just wondering, do you…” she began hesitantly. “That is if you wanted to, you’re welcome to join us,” she finished, the tinge of a blush creeping up her cheeks. 

The elevator arrived and the doors swung open. 

“Thanks Carter, but I’ll be at home,” he said, stepping into the open elevator. 

“Okay,” she sounded slightly taken aback. “Merry Christmas Sir!” She added with a wave. 

The sliding doors closing saved him from having to reply. 

He leaned against the wall of the elevator as it began to ascend and briefly reconsidered Carter’s offer. However, celebrating Christmas just didn’t seem right. Not when only two years ago there had been a tree, three stockings, presents, and a bounding boy who had jumped on him at 5 am yelling, “Dad! Dad! Wake up, it's Christmas!! Time for presents!”

It was better to just pretend the whole damn holiday didn’t exist. 

He made it home, threw his coat over a chair, grabbed a six pack out of the fridge, and plunked down in his favorite chair, with no intention to move again for the rest of his leave. 

He must have dozed off because he was awakened suddenly hours later to the sound of voices. 

“...don’t even think he’s here.”

“Car’s here.”

“Perhaps O’Neill is asleep.” 

“I think we should do it anyway.” 

“Fine, you start.”

There was silence and then a noise that rather resembled a cat being strangled. 

_ “Jingle bells, jingle bells…” _

_ “We wish you a merry Christmas…”  _

The two different melodies, both already being sung off key, did not mesh well together. 

“We agreed on Jingle Bells!” 

“We did not! Why would we sing that one? When you carol you sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas!”

“Teal’c what did we choose?”

Jack got to his feet, strode across the room and yanked the door open revealing Carter, Daniel and Teal’c standing in his driveway. 

“What the hell are you three doing?”

Daniel and Carter were facing each other and Teal’c stood behind them looking bemused. 

Carter whirled at the sound of his voice, “Colonel!” She said, sounding delighted. “Told you he was here.” She was wearing jeans and a red sweater. A Santa hat was perched on top of her blonde hair, tipped slightly askew over one ear. 

“I believe we are caroling O’Neill,” Teal’c said. 

“Well, you should rethink that,” he said. “Might make someone’s ears bleed. I’m liable to call the cops on you myself for disturbing the peace.”

“Daniel sang the wrong song,” Carter said. 

“I did not!” He argued. “Wouldn’t matter anyway, you sound like a dying cow.” She tried to glare at him but lost control, doubled over and dissolved into laughter. 

Jack couldn’t help the smile that was tugging at the corner of his mouth. This was so different from the Captain Carter he always saw. So there was a crack in her perfect military decorum after all. 

“Are you guys drunk?” He asked incredulously. 

“Noo,” Daniel said, swaying slightly on the spot. 

“Daniel is, I’m not,” Carter said, straightening up. 

Teal’c raised one eyebrow as he looked between the two of them. 

“Carter, is this really behavior befitting an Air Force Officer?” He asked sternly. 

He saw a hint panic cross her face, and he quickly said, “I’m just kidding Captain! You’re on leave.”

“Told you this was a bad idea,” Daniel whispered loudly in her ear. 

“It was your idea!” She whispered back. 

“Okay,” Jack sighed. “Let me get my keys and I’ll drive the three of you home. But if there is any singing in the truck I will pull over and personally shove you out!”

Daniel had tried to grab the truck handle twice before Sam had stepped in front of him and pulled it open. He half stumbled, half fell into the tiny back seat and Sam climbed in after him. 

“How much did you let them drink?” Jack asked Teal’c as he climbed into the driver's seat. 

“I believe Daniel Jackson had two bottles of something called beer. I did not realize how strong it must have been to have caused inebriation so quickly. 

Jack rolled his eyes. “It’s not strong at all Teal’c, Daniel’s just a lightweight.”

“He does appear to weigh a normal amount for a human male O’Neill.” 

“Never mind Teal’c.”

He backed out of the driveway and headed for the freeway. Silence fell over the truck and after a while he glanced in the rear view mirror into the backseat. Daniel had fallen asleep on Carter’s shoulder, mouth open. The white puff ball at the end of her hat was hanging into his face. She caught Jack’s eye in the mirror and grinned at him. For a second he felt his heart jump in his chest. It wasn’t that he had never noticed it before, he was caught slightly off guard the first time she had flashed it at him across the briefing table the first time they had met. Maybe he just never had a chance to fully appreciate it though. There was a warmth there, a brilliance, and he felt himself melting slightly. 

The clock in the dashboard blinked 11:59 to 12:00.

“Merry Christmas Sir,” she whispered. 

“Merry Christmas Carter.”


	2. Chapter 2

_ Christmas Eve 2010 _

Jack had fallen asleep in his chair and was roused by a knock at the door. He planned to ignore it but it became insistent and then there was a voice. 

“Jack? We know you’re in there. Open up!” Daniel Jackson’s voice floated into the room. 

Jack sighed but still didn’t move. 

“May as well let us in, otherwise I’ll just use my key. Or Teal’c could break the door down.”

Grumbling, Jack got to his feet and stalked over to the door. He fumbled with the dead bolt for a minute before his fingers would cooperate and he opened the door to see Daniel and Teal’c startling on his front porch. Daniel was holding a plastic bin overflowing with lights and garland, and Teal’c had a small green tree propped up against his shoulder. 

“ Why do you have a key to my house?” He said by way of greeting. 

“Why hello Jack, it’s wonderful to see you as well. Merry Christmas by the way.”

Jack grunted in return. 

“We have come to provide you with Christmas decor,” Teal’c said, lifting the tree slightly. 

“I don’t want any decorations,” Jack said. 

“Well, too bad we’re already here and this bin is heavy,” Daniel said shifting his grip. “Now are you going to let us in or not?” 

Jack considered, still not moving from the doorframe. 

“Teal’c brought beer,” Daniel added. Jack moved to the side to let them in. 

Daniel dropped his bin in the hallway with an echoing crash and fumbled for the light switches. “Jesus Jack,” he said as the lights came on and he saw Jack blinking. “You turn into a vampire or something?”

“It’s night!” 

“It’s 7:30!” Daniel responded emphatically, then he sighed. “Landry told us you were in rough shape, but it’s worse than I thought! Common Teal’c, we can set that up in the living room.”

He picked his bin back up and proceeded down the hallway. 

Jack’s foggy brain finally started to catch up. 

“What are you guys doing here anyway?”

“As I said, we are here to decorate your home O’Neill,” Teal’c said, voice echoing back as he carefully followed Daniel down the hallway. 

Jack shook his head then followed his former team members down the hall. 

“There’s a reason that I didn’t put any up in the first place. Don’t I get a say in this?” he grumbled. 

“You do not,” Teal’c replied. 

Daniel had the lamps blazing and was fishing a tree stand out of his bin by the time he arrived in the living room. 

“Okay Teal’c,” he said, “go ahead and put it in.”

Teal’c lowered the tree into the stand and held it upright while Daniel crawled underneath to screw it in. 

“Teal’c it’s leaning to the right, straighten it up!”

“It is indeed straight Daniel Jackson.”

“Well I need it closer to the left, move it over.”

Teal’c eyes rolled to the ceiling as he inched the tree over. 

Jack watched them with his arms crossed. 

Finally Daniel re-emerged from under the tree and stood back to admire their handiwork. 

“Looks pretty good!” He said. “Teal’c brought it back from offworld you know.”

“What?” Jack said rounding on Daniel. 

“Just kidding!” He said, raising his hands defensively. “Got it at the Boy Scout lot down the street. But it’s good to see your years in command have actually made you concerned about that.” 

“Just don’t want it consuming my house,” Jack muttered. “Okay great,” he continued louder, clapping his hands together. “You got a tree in my house, now where is the beer?”

“Hang on!” Said Daniel, now pulling out an extremely tangled and knotted strand of lights out of the bin. “We have to decorate it first!”

“Oh for crying out loud,” Jack sighed, rolling his eyes. 

“You can’t just have a bare tree in your house.”

“I didn’t want a tree in my house to begin with.”

“Go help Teal’c with the garland, I’ll do the tree,” Daniel ordered impatiently. 

Jack’s eyes narrowed. He thought about giving Daniel a piece of his mind. About how he didn’t like being ordered around in his own home. How he just wanted to sit down and drink in peace and silence. To get the hell out of his house and to take his Christmas cheer with him. Instead he found himself walking over to Teal’c and helping him loop garland down the hallway and then over the fireplace. 

He looked back to where Daniel had apparently given up on untangling the lights and was wrapping them around the tree still knotted and thought back to the last time he had had a Christmas tree in the house. 

_ Christmas Day 1999 _

Jack was only planning on having the rest of SG-1 over for Christmas. It had been a hard few months, especially for Daniel after losing Sha’re. They had a few days off, and none of them had any plans. He told them it would just be casual. Pizza, beer. Absolutely no singing. It also gave him an excuse to spend Christmas with Carter. Something he had been looking forward to. 

Teal’c had approached him on the base several days before Christmas. 

“I must regretfully decline my invitation to your house for Christmas O’Neill,” he said, bowing his head slightly. 

“What? Why?” Jack asked. 

“General Hammond has given me permission to bring Drey’auc and Rya’c to Earth for the Christmas holiday. This will be their first time to experience it. I plan to bring a tree to my quarters and hang footwear. I have not yet figured out how to add a chimney however.”

“Stockings Teal’c, it’s stockings. But you can’t have their first Christmas on the base. Just bring them over as well!” Jack said. 

“Are you certain?”

“Of course! The more the more merriment, merrier. Something like that. I may have to amend the menu. But it’ll be fun! Maybe the Doc and Cassie would want to come over as well, so Rya’c has someone his age to hang out with.”

“Rya’c is fond of Cassandra.”

“There we go. I’ll ah, get a tree. And stockings.”

Teal’c inclined his head and continued down the corridor. Jack poked his head into the infirmary on his way off the base to ask Dr. Frasier if she would like to attend as well. She said that yes, she and Cassie had no other plans and would love to come over for Christmas.

Jack stopped on his way home and bought one of the few remaining Christmas trees at the lot near his house. The branches were somewhat sparse, but he was still rather pleased with himself once he had it standing up in his living room. That is until he realized he didn’t have anything to put on it, so cursing he stomped out of the house and drove to the hardware store to pick up some lights. 

One strand of lights had not been enough, so he found himself back at the store buying several more boxes. He cursed again when he realized that he also didn’t have any ornaments but was loath to make yet another trip to the store, so he hung a few fishing lures on the branches, put an empty beer bottle upside down over the top and called it done. 

Christmas day rolled around and Jack’s house felt as though it were bursting at the seams. Rya’c had been quiet when they first arrived, trying to stand behind his mother, but Cassie had yanked him away and now they sat under the tree chatting animatedly and eating candy by the handful. 

Teal’c sat next to Drey’auc on the couch talking to Janet and Daniel and Jack had to admit that he had never seen the former Jaffa looking so relaxed. He whipped his head around as he heard a deep laugh roll off of him and echo across the room. Daniel waved him over but he shook his head. He was pacing back and forth under the guise of going into the kitchen for more drinks. She still wasn’t here. 

He looked at his watch for what had to have been the hundredth time in the last hour. She was late, and if there was one thing Major Carter never was it was late.

“Doc!” he finally called across the room. “Carter say anything to you about not being able to make it?”

Janet tilted her head slightly to the side and studied him for a moment in a way that made him slightly uncomfortable.

“Noo,” she said. “Last I talked to her she said that she would see me here.”

He stalked back to the kitchen and was about to start worrying when the doorbell rang. It took all his self control not to leap across the hallway to open it. Wiping his hands on his pants he took a deep breath and pulled it open.”

Jacob Carter was standing there.

“Hi Jack,” he said.

“Jacob!” Jack said incredulously, trying to peer around him. He caught a glimpse of bone hair behind him.

“Surprised to see me?

“No, I mean, yes. I mean, how are you?”

“Just fine thanks. Are you going to ask me in?”

“Ah, of course.” Jack stepped to the side and extended an arm to wave him in. Jacob unbuttoned his coat and dropped it over Jack’s arm before walking into the house, Sam following behind him. 

“Hi Sir,” she said, taking off her own coat.

“Hi,” he responded, still thrown off guard.

“I’m sorry, Dad was supposed to go visit my brother for Christmas but his flight was cancelled at the last minute so I brought him along. I really should have called, I know.”

“No it’s fine!” Jack said, waving a hand as he shut the door behind her, then jumped out of the way as Cassie came barrelling down the hallway screeching “Sam!” before launching herself at her. 

Jack caught a glimpse of her grin as she wrapped her arms around the younger woman. He felt his knees give out slightly at the sight of her dazzling smile and he quickly walked down the hall to put the Carters’ coats in a bedroom. 

He wasn’t able to get a chance to talk to Sam again for almost another hour. The floor had become a sea of wrapping paper and discarded ribbons. Rya’c and Cassie had finally calmed down enough to get out a game of Monopoly and were happily playing by their own rules. Jack was pretty sure he heard them designate one of the spaces a Stargate that let them skip across the board. Teal’c and Drey’auc were out of the deck, and Janet and Daniel were clearing plates in the kitchen. Jacob was nowhere to be found, so when Jack found Sam alone gazing up at the tree he made his way towards her. 

She turned her head to look at him as he approached. 

“Nice tree Sir,” she said. Her face was impassive but he could hear the barely controlled laughter in her voice.

“Why thank you Carter, decorated it by myself.”

“Never would have guessed.” She fell silent for a minute. “This was nice,” she finally said. 

“Yeah,” he replied. “Cassie and Rya’c seemed to have a really good time.”

“They did, and I haven’t heard Daniel laugh so much in weeks.” She looked up at him and he lost himself in her gaze. The lights from the tree were reflecting in her eyes making them look as though they were full of sparkling stars. She held his stare and reached one hand up. For a heart racing second he thought that she was going to take his hand, but she merely brushed her fingertips against the branches of the tree. 

“Sir, I…” she started to say but was interrupted by a voice behind her. 

“Say Jack, you have anything to drink that isn’t beer?”

He turned to see Jacob standing there. “Uh yeah, sure. Just a second.” He shook his head slightly as if trying to wake himself from a trance.

He looked back at Carter who was smiling. He was convinced that her smile would never cease to cause his heart to jump out of his chest. 

“Merry Christmas Sir,” she said smiling. 


	3. Chapter 3

_ Christmas Eve 2010 _

Jack finally collapsed back into the couch after helping Teal’c hang garland along the fireplace. Then, despite his protests, Daniel had pushed a box of ornaments in his hands and told him to hang them on the tree. 

He would never admit it but it did look better than the fishing lures when he was all done. Teal’c handed him a beer. “About time,” he grumbled, taking a quick sip. 

“See,” Daniel said waving his hand at the room and dropping down next to him. “Isn’t this nice?”

Jack said nothing, just tipped the bottle back and took a long drink. 

“Has there been any word from Colonel Carter?” Teal’c asked, sitting as well in a chair across the room. 

Jack grunted. “No, not since their last data dump about a month ago. It'll probably be another few months before her ship is able to do another one.”

“Look Jack, I know you miss her, but this isn’t the longest she’s been gone. You just seem to be taking it pretty hard,” Daniel said, peeling the label off his beer bottle.

Jack glanced up sharply,” Excuse me?” 

Daniel held up his hands, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Jack was quiet for a long time, thumbing the ring on his left hand. “It’s just, it was supposed to be our first Christmas together. You guys were off world so much those first years, then she was in Atlantis. We finally thought it was our year. You guys know I’ve never really been good at Christmas, not since, you know, but she loves it.”

“Jack,” Daniel began hesitantly, “I know it’s not really my place, but Sam wouldn’t want you to just sit around and mope. She’d want you to still enjoy Christmas.”

“I’m not moping Daniel,” Jack said. He took another long sip. “You guys want to get a pizza or something?” he asked. 

_ December 23 2006 _

Jack had squeezed in a trip to Colorado Springs from Washington two days before Christmas. In the two years he and Sam had been together they had probably only spent a month of it actually together in stolen hours whenever they could sneak in a flight back and forth. 

The fate of the galaxy may have been hanging in the balance that year, but he found himself strolling hand and hand with Sam through a holiday light display a few miles from the SGC. She had dragged him there, away from work and away from the mountain. 

“I’ve driven past this for years and have always wanted to come but this is the first time I’ve actually made it,” she told him and they walked past a Santa outlined in Christmas lights that was waving its hand at them. 

A few flurries were falling from the thick clouds overhead, the lights twinkled around them and Sam sighed contentedly, laying her head on his shoulder as they walked along. 

“I’ve missed you,” she said. 

“Missed you too. You know, just once it would be great if the world would stay saved, and we could just stay here, on it, together and enjoy it.”

She laughed, the sound ringing out and warming him from the inside out. It had taken them long enough to get to this point and now that they were finally together he wanted to spend the rest of his life making her laugh and seeing her smile. 

His glove fell out of his pocket and she dropped his hand to turn around and pick it up for him. When she straightened back up he was on one knee in the light dusted powder of snow on the path. Confusion creased her brow for one second, and then her mouth formed an O.

“Sam,” he said simply. “You know that I’m no good at this. But I can’t imagine my life without you, and I sure as hell don’t want to do it alone anymore. I’m not trying to change anything, I know what your job means to you. This isn’t what this is about. But I love you. Marry me?” 

He thought he saw a tear in the corner of her eye catch the glittering lights as she nodded her head. “Yes,” she said. “Of course yes!”

He stood up and caught her in his arms, twirling her around once and making the snow swirl on the ground. There were snowflakes clinging to her eyelashes. He took her face in his hands and kissed her slow and gently, warmth rising inside him. 

“Merry Christmas Sam,” he murmured. 

_ Christmas Eve 2010 _

Teal’c and Daniel stayed late into the night. Jack had actually laughed, something he hadn’t done in weeks. He even surprised himself by asking them to stay. They had declined though, Teal’c was planning on going back off world to spend Christmas with Rya’c and Kar’yn. Rya’c had developed quite the fondness for the holiday after spending it with them all those years ago, Teal’c had told Jack. And now Kar’yn enjoyed celebrating as well.

Jack held the door open for them as they left, waving as they climbed into Teal’c’s car and drove away. He turned back around. All the lights in the house were off except for the tree. He could hear echoes of laughter from that Christmas with all of his friends, and even Sam’s awful singing from his driveway, so many years ago. It was moments like this he was glad he hadn’t sold the house when he left Colorado Spring for Washington. He left the tree lights on and headed to the bedroom. 

Before going to sleep he pulled out his laptop and a flash drive. Sam had recorded messages on it for him before she left. One was labeled, “DO NOT WATCH UNTIL CHRISTMAS!” He glanced at the clock. 11:30 pm. Close enough, he decided. He plugged it in and pulled up the video. He smiled as her face appeared on the screen. 

“Hi Jack,” she said. “This is a hard one, I know. I was really looking forward to spending Christmas with you. I’m so sorry that I can’t be there this year. Celebrating without you on the ship just isn’t the same. I hope that you are still able to enjoy it though. I want you to know that no matter how far away I am, my heart is with you, and I’m thinking of you. I miss you so very much.”

He sniffed, loudly, and was very glad that no one was around to hear. 

She reached for something he couldn’t see and music filled her cabin on the ship. “I thought I would sing something for you because I know how much you enjoy it.” She took a deep breath and opened her mouth before dissolving into laughter. “I’m just kidding. I wouldn’t do that to you. Merry Christmas Jack. I love you.”

Her face froze as the recording ended. 

Slowly he closed the laptop and tossed it onto the other side of the bed. He got under the covers and tried to sleep. 

Jack had finally drifted off to sleep when a loud  _ whoomp  _ noise jolted him back awake, and he caught a flash of light flare through the crack underneath his doorway. For a moment his still fuzzy mind couldn’t figure out what was happening. Then down the hallway floated the faint sound of music. 

_ I’ll be home for Christmas, you can count on me…  _

Jack sat bolt upright, leapt out of bed, flung the door open and ran down the hall. 

There she was. 

She was standing in the middle of the living room in front of the tree, still in her uniform except for a red Santa hat that he remembered fondly tipped slightly on her blond hair. The stereo was playing on the fireplace and Bing Crosby’s voice drifted through the room.

_ Please have snow and mistletoe… _

He shook his head, sure it was a dream, not convinced she was really here. Then she smiled at him bright as a star and it was all he could to keep from melting into the floor. 

“Hi Jack,” she said simply. 

“Sam,” he breathed. 

He didn’t remember crossing the room to her, but the next thing he knew she was in his arms wrapped tightly and he was kissing her and she was kissing him, and if he had it his way he would never let her go again. 

_ Christmas Eve will find me… _

“How?” he finally managed to get out when they came up for air.

Her smile turned mischievous. “Being commander of the ship has its advantages.”

“Colonel Carter! Using your command to your benefit. I’m so proud.”

“Actually we were recalled.”

“Don’t care, just happy you’re here.”

“Me too.” She tilted her head back to look around the room. “You decorated!” she said. “The house looks great.”

“Why thank you.”

“The guys helped, didn’t they?”

“Maybe,” Jack admitted. 

She flashed him her brilliant smile. “Between you and me I miss the fishing lures.”

“And I miss your singing,” he said.

“Really?”

“No.”

_ I’ll be home for Christmas… _

She threw her head back and laughed. It was like bells, pealing across the room. Hearing it again, seeing her here and having her home was the greatest Christmas present Jack could have ever asked for. 

She reached up and laced her fingers behind his neck and leaned against him. He tipped his head down and brushed a kiss against her forehead. 

“Merry Christmas Jack,” she whispered in his ear. 


End file.
